Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

A federal regulation that requires all public and private employers with 50 or more employees within a 75 mile radius of a single location to allow up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a one year period to certain qualified full time workers. Family and medical leave may be taken for a broad range of qualifying reasons such as illness or disability of the employee or an immediate family member. Many states have instituted their own version of the family and medical leave act that employers must comply with in addition to federal regulations.